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Coffee Health Risks

First butter was thought to be unhealthy and we all switched to margarine. Then margarine was found to have higher levels of trans fats and we were told butter was better. Shortly afterwards margarines were made with little of no trans fats and we were told to switch back to margarine. It was a similar situation with alcohol. Historically it was a widely held view that any alcohol was potentially harmful: now we are told that a few glasses of wine or beer each week can provide all manner of health benefits.

And the same appears to be happening again with coffee. Until quite recently it was considered a health risk, it now appears coffee in moderation may in fact confer a range of health benefits, and that for most people these benefits outweigh any risks. Earlier studies that linked coffee to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, tended to ignore other lifestyle factors associated with high levels of coffee consumption, such as lack of physical exercise and smoking. It now appears that generally there is no connection between coffee drinking and an increased risk of either heart disease or cancer.

In fact coffee appears to offer protection from liver cancer and other liver disease. It also protects against Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes: it may reduce the risk of a fatal heart attack, and increase your lifespan. And as an added bonus there is also evidence now that confirms what most coffee drinkers already knew: that coffee improves cognitive function and reduces the risk of depression.

Many studies in the past have focused on caffeine and often been carried out using caffeine added to water rather than actual coffee. These included studies that found caffeine to be a diuretic and therefore of no use in replacing body fluids. However it now appears that the caffeine that comes in the form of coffee beans has no such affect on habitual coffee drinkers. As our bodies become accustomed to it, the caffeine stops acting as a diuretic. The need to urinate more frequently can be directly attributed to the additional volume of liquid consumed by those who are enjoying the taste of coffee made from fresh roasted coffee beans in Perth too much to stop at one cup; or by those desperate to stay awake.

In large quantities however coffee can still pose a risk for some. There is a common genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body and may increase the risk of heart disease if those with the mutation drink more than two cups a day. High consumption of unfiltered coffee, including boiled coffee and espresso can also cause a slight increase in cholesterol levels.

The current thinking on the health benefits is unlikely to impact on the demand for wholesale coffee in the short term: most people drink it for other reasons. But in the long term, if drinking coffee increases our lifespan, then we are likely to be around for a few extra years; time enough to consume thousands of additional cups.